Billet casting machine



J. W. LEIGHTON BILLET CASTING MACHINE May 26, 1931.

Filed Oct 24, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I rn en for Job/: Wycliffe L eiqhfon.

y 1931- J. w. LEIGHTON 1,807,419

BILLET CASTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 24, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 26, 1931 PATENT F JOHN WYCLIFFE LEIGI-ITON, 01 PORT" HURON, MICHIGAN BILEET: CASTING MACHINE Application filed 0ctober 24, 1929. S'eriaLNo'. 402139.

The prin'cipali obj ects of this invention. are, to overcome numerous dithculties met with inthe production ofbill'ets'used in the manufactureof metal tubes by extrusion, and to provide a machine which will operatevcontinuously without fouling the moulds and whichwill'produce billets of uniformidimens sions free from scaleandgrit.

A further object is to produce a machine of a very compact and rugged nature which will effectively dissipate the heat absorbed in the moulds from themolten metal poured thereinto.

The principal features of the invention consist first, in thenovel construction of the moulds whereby a cooling'med'ium is circulated therearound in such a manneras to rapidly dissipate the heat absorbed, and second, in the novel construction and operation of; re-

ciprocating plungers in the moulds whereby the billet is ejected andthe mould surfaces are simultaneously cleaned and lubricated after the moulding of each billet.

A further feature of importance i'sr inz the novel construction: of the machine whereby a plurality of mould's are mounted upon a rotatable member and the ejecting." mould clearing plungers in the several. mould's are automatically operated in progressive: rota- 'tion. a

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View of the machine in part horizontal section.

Figure 2' is a verticallongitudinal section of the machine on. the line 22fof Figurel. Figure 3 is a vertical section on theline 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a horizontal. section through the line 4-'-& ofFigure-Q (enlarged)'. 1

The device herein shown is constructed with a hollow base 1 having a raised side wall 2 extending completely therearound.

One end of the base is o'f-semi-circular form and has a raised circular" bed portion 3 on which is ri gidlymounted a hollow cylindrical standard 4 provided with a flangedib'ase 5.

An annular flange 6 extending outwardly from the standard 4 adjacent to its lower end supports a ball bearing 7 upon which is mounted a castingv 8 which has a central cylindrical portion'encirclingthe' standard,

the upper end-of which is guided by a ball bearing 9;

The casing 8 formedi'withx a plhrality of radially arranged part cylindrical-extensions 8"wh1clr arevspaced equidistant around the ard iand bearing: sleeves 14% and 15, are

axially arranged inaeach of the bored extensions.

A plunger 1'6is slidably mounted in each of the extensions 8 andtheupper end of'the plunger has arranged thereon piston head 17 which engages the upper bearing; sleeve 15 in a: snug sliding fit;

The piston headl'? is formed with a'longitudinal recess l8-onone side, and a partition wall 1 9 whichis'spaced'from the centre pin, hereinafter described, is provided with a longitudinal slot 20 radially opposite the recess 18- and an opening 21 at the top I through which the oil? or other cooling medium flows from the recess 18 to the slot 20 flowing around the centre pin.

Circumferential recesses 22' are formed in the casting S'surrounding the upper part of each of the sleeves 1-5 and a vertical passage 23 is arranged toconnect each recess 22 with radial openings 24 which are in constant communication with the recesses 18 of the pistons.

Radial passages 25 extend inwardly from the'chamber 22 to the circumferential recess 26 in the inner wall of the rotatable member 8 and the latter recess is connected with a chamber 27 in the top of the standard 4 by a plurality of radial passages 28'.

A transverse partition 4; in the central chamber of the cylindricalstandard 4 israrranged immediately below the radial passages 28 and separates the upper part of the standard from the lower part.

The chamber 27 in the standard has connected thereto a pipe 29 which conveys a fluid cooling medium through the top of the standard which flows outwardly through the passages 28 into the circular recess 26 in the rotatable casting and then through the radial passages to the recess 22 surrounding the bearing sleeves 15 ellectively cooling the upper portion of the sleeves into which the molten metal is poured. The cooling medium then flows from the recesses 22 through the vertical passage 23 to the passage 24 from whence it flows into the longitudinal passage 18 in the piston through the opening 21 in the top of the partition 19 and the longitudinal slot 20 and out through radial passages arranged opposite the passages 24, to a circumferential recess 31 arranged below the recess 26 which communicates with radial passages 32 in the standard 4 which lead to the inner chamber 33 of the cylindrical standard below the partition 4.

It will be noted that the cooling fluid flowing through the opening 21 in the piston is directed against the pin 36 extending axially through the piston and impinges on said pin at the top of the slot 20 as the piston travels up and down.

The cooling medium flows out from the bottom of the hollow standard into the hollow base from whence it is carried in a return circulation to the upper feed pipe 29 by means of a suitable pump, which is not shown and such cooling medium is preferably conducted through suitable heat dissipating radiators.

Each of the plungers 17 is formed with a longitudinal slot adjacent to the upper end and a cross bar 35 extends through said slot and is supported in the casting 8 at each end.

A pin 36 is secured in each cross bar 35 and extends upwardly through a central orifice 37 in the piston end of the plunger 17 and forms the centre pin for the billets to be cast in the mould formed by the sleeve 15 and the top face of the piston 17.

It will be noted that the centre pins are rigidly supported by the cross bars 35 while the plungers are capable of moving with a reciprocating motion in the bearing sleeves in the casting 8.

The moulds herein shown are provided with centre pins to form billets with a central orifice but when solid billets are desired the pins will be eliminated and the piston will be closed at the top.

Each plunger is provided at its lower end with a transverse slot 38 in which is arranged a roller 40 mounted upon a pin 41.

A cam 42 which has a gradual rise to one side of the machine is mounted upon the flanged base 5 of the standard and engages the rollers 40 of the plungers to move them upwardly.

Rollers 43 are arranged on the inner ends of the pins 41 and a cam 44 is mounted on the standard 4 to engage the rollers 43 to draw the plungers downwardly.

A toothed gear ring 45 is secured to the casting 8 adjacent to its lower end said gear ring being preferably located below the top of the side wall 2 of the hollow base.

A block 46, preferably forming part of the bottom of the base structure extends upwardly within the hollow base in a position centrally of the width of the squared end 47 of the base.

A step bearing 48 is arranged in the top of the block 46 and supports a stub shaft 49, the upper end of which is journalled in a bearing 50 in the cap section 51 of the ring 13 secured to the hollow base.

A gear pinion segment 52 mounted on the shaft 49 meshes with the gear ring 45 to operate the rotatable member.

A bevelled gear 53 also mounted on the stub shaf 49 meshes with a bevelled pinion 54 mounted on a shaft 55 which extends ransversely of the base 1 and is mounted in the bearings 56 and 57 therein.

One end of the shaft 55 extends beyond the casing and is driven by suitable means and a packing gland is arranged to seal the shaft opening against the leakage of oil from the base.

A pawl 59 is pivotally mounted on a pin 60 extendin vertically upward from the bottom of the case, said pawl having a toothed end 61 adapted to engage the teeth of the gear ring 45 to hold the gear ring in a fixed position.

A coil compression spring 62 is arranged to operate the pawl into engaging contact with the gear.

The pawl is provided with an arm 63 which is engaged by a cam 64 mounted on the hub of the bevelled gear 53 or upon the shaft 49.

The gear pinion 52 is a segment only and is arranged to rotate the member 8 a predetermined distance and then disengage from the gear ring.

The cam 64 and pawl 59 co-operate to engage and hold the gear ring in a definite fixed posit-ion while the gear pinion segment 52 is rotating free and the arrangement of the pawl ensures the meshing of the teeth 52 when the pinion moves around in the completion of its rotation.

The operation of the rotatable member is because of its arrangement of mechanism, intermittent, consequently the moulds rest for a definite period at which time the metal to be cast into a billet is poured into same.

Immediately after the filling of the mould formed by the sleeve 15 the subsequent movement of the member 8 moves the plunger upwardly stripping thebillet from the centre pin andliftingthe billet from the'mouldi The head of the piston sliding'within'the sleeve 15 removes all scale or particles of carbon or. oil residue therefrom, thusclearing the Wall of the mould and it also'st-rips any material adhering to the pin.

In its upward movement the piston carries with a body of oil which acts as a further cooling element to cool the mould as in the rising of the piston the oil covers practically the entire surfacewof the sleeve 15" and also completely surrounds the pin'36.

The contact of the circulating body of cooling oil not only cools the metal but it covers the surface with a film of oil which prevents the adhesion of oxides of the metal poured into the mould.

Billets cast in a machinesuch as described are uniform in size and'texture of metal, as the conditions of cooling and shrinkage are very uniform.

Thesurfaces in contact with the poured metal are very smooth, consequently the billet produced has a smooth exterior free entirely from grit, such as is assimilated from sand moulds.

An arm is secured to the upper end of thestandard 4 and projects angularly' across the top of the rotatable member in such a manner as to'guide the finished billets oif the top ofthemachineas it rotates.

It will be understood from this description that a machine constructed as described is very compact and the top is of such a height that the moulds areeasily available for pouring from the ordina-ry'ladles.

It will benoted that the cooling-medium, which is preferablyal'so a lubricant, is circulated around and through the moulds and is carried through the hollow standardto the hollow base where the'operating; mechanism is immersed in such medium and all parts-are thoroughly lubricated and cooled.

In the construction of machine herein shown and described the rotating mould member is periodically arrestedbut it may be found'desirable to operate themachine without arresting the moulds and this can be accomplished by simply using a complete pinion in placeofthe segment 52 and dispensing with the pawl 59 and cam 64.

It mayalso be found desirable to provide means for scraping the top surface of the moulds immediately after the pouring ofthe metal to remove any slag or scale.-

What I claim as my invention is -1 A billet casting machine, comprising a mould, a plunger reciprocable in said-mould and forming'the bottom thereof, and means for circulating a liquid cooling medium around said mould and said plunger.

2. A billet casting machine, comprising a mould, a plunger recip-rocablein said mould and forming the bottom thereof, and means for directing a lubricant around the inner versely through said plunger, and a passage leading from the aforesaidpassage and communicating with the passage: in the plunger and conducting the fluid lubricant in a continuousflow therethrough.

5; A billet casting machine, comprising a mould open at the top, a plunger reciprocable in -said mould and formingthe bottom thereof, a pin fixed axially of the mould and in slid'able-engagement with the plunger, a passage through the plunger around'said pin, a passage around the mould communicating with the passage through the plunger, and means for directing afiow of cooling and lubricatingfluid around the mould and through the plunger. V

6; A billet casting machine, comprising a tubular mould, a'pinfixed axially Within the mould, aplungerslidable within the mould and in sliding engagement with said pin, said plunger having a longitudinal recess opening atone side thereof and a passage around thepin communicating with said longitudinal recess at the top, the outer side of saidp assage on the side of the plunger opposite tothe longitudinal recess extending longitudinally of the plunger, a body surroundingsaid tubular mould having passages communicating through openings in the mould with the-longitudinal recess and longitudinal passage'in the plunger, and a conduitextending around the upper and open end of the tubular mould conducting a fluid cooling and lubricating medium to the aforesaid passages.

7; A billet casting machine, comprising a rotatable member having a plurality of mould recesses therein, a plunger operable in each of said recesses, means for operating said rotatable member, and means for operating said plungers progressively in said moulds durin the rotation of the rotatable member.

8. billet casting machine, comprising a rotatable member having a plurality of mould recesses, a reciprocable plunger arranged in each of' said mould recesses, means for r0- tating said rotatable member, means for operating said plungers to eject the moulded billets from the moulds, means for maintaining a continuous flow of a cooling lubricating medium around said moulds, and means "for applying said fluid lubricating medium to the inner wails of said moulds.

9. A billet *asting machine, comprising a vertical standard, a member rotatably mounted on said standard having a plurality of vertical moulds, a plunger reciprocable in each of said moulds, means supported by said standard for reciprocating said plungers, means for rotating said mould carrying memher, and means for circulating a cooling medium through said standard and around said moulds.

10. A billet casting machine, comprising a vertical standard, having a central chamber in the top communicating with a cooling medium supply and having a plurality of radial passages, a member rotatably mounted on said standard having a plurality of moulds therein, cooling chambers encircling said moulds, passages maintaining constant communication between the chamber in said standard and the chambers encircling said moulds, means for conducting the fluid me dium from the mould encircling chambers, means for rotating the rotatable mould member, and means for ejecting the billets from the mould and clearing the moulds.

11. A billet casting machine, comprising a hollow standard having a partition thereacross and radial passages above and below said partition, a member rotatably encircling said standard having annular chambers communicating respectively with the upper and lower sets of said radial passages, radial passages leading outwardly from said annular chambers, mould cavities arranged in said rotatable member, chambers surr unding said mould cavities connected with the upper set of radial passages, passages leading from the mould encircling chambers and leading through the mould cavities to the lower set of radial passages and the hollow stand ard below the partition, and a plunger 0per Rising in each of said mould cavities having passages therethrough to conduct the fluid reeling medium to and through the mould cavities.

12. A billet casting machine, comprising a mould open at the top, a centre pin fixed in said mould, a plunger slidably engaging the mould walls and the walls of said pin and adapted to be projected beyond the top of the mould, said plunger having a passage extending transversely therethrough surrounding the pin, means for reciprocating said plunger, and means for circulating a cooling lubrieating medium through the passage in the plunger.

13. A billet casting machine, comprising a vertical standard. a member rotatably mounted on said standard having a plurality of vertical moulds. a plunger reciprocahle in each of said moulds, means supported by said standard for reciprocating said plnngers,

means tor circulating a cooling medium around said moulds and through said standard, a gear ring on said mould member, a gear pinion meshing with said gear ring, and means for rotating said pinion.

14:. A billet casting machine, comprising a. vertical standard, a member rotatably mounted on said tandard having a plurality of vertical moulds, a plunger reciprocable in each of said moulds, means supported by said standard for reciprocating said plungers, means for circulating a cooling medium around said moulds and through said standard, a ring on said mould member, a gear segment meshing with said gear ring, a pawl adapted to engage and hold said gear ring, and a cam rotating with said segment eperatively engaging said pawl.

15. A billet casting machine, comprising a hollow base, a hollow standard mounted in said base, a member rotatably mounted on said standard having a plurality of vertical moulds therein, a plunger operating in each of said moulds and extending into said base, cams on said standard engaging said plungers, means for circulating a cooling lubricating medium around said moulds and through said standard and base, and means mounted in the hollow base for rotating said mould member.

16. A billet casting machine, comprising said base, a member rotatably mounted on said base, a member rotatably mounted on said standard having a plurality of vertical moulds therein, a plunger operating in each of said moulds and extending into said base, cams on said standard engaging said plungers, means for circulating a cooling lubricating medium around said moulds and through said standard and base, a shaft extending transversely of said base, a bevel gear mounted on said shaft, a bevel pinion meshing With said bevel gear and rotatably mounted in said base, a gear segment secured to said pinion, a gear ring mounted on said rotatable mould member meshing with said segment, and means for intermittently holding said gear ring and mould member.

17 A billet casting machine, comprising a base having a raised side wall extending th-erearound, a cap closing the base having a ring flange projecting thereabove, a standard mounted in said base, and arranged centrally of said ring flange, a rotatable member encircling and mounted on said standard and having a plurality of moulds therein, a cylindrical apron secured to said mould member and extending downwardly over said ring flange, means enclosed within said base for rotating said mould member, plunger operating in each of said moulds and extending into said base, and means for circulating a lubricating medium around said moulds and through said base.

18. In a billet casting machine, a sleeve mould having openings oppositely arranged intermediate of the length thereof, a casing encircling said sleeve having an annular chamber surrounding the upper end of said sleeve and a passage leading from said chamher to one of the openings of said sleeve, a discharge passage in said casing leading from the other opening in the sleeve, a passage in said casing leading to said chamber, a pin fixed axially in said sleeve, and a plunger slidably arranged on said sleeve and slidably engaging the inner Wall of the sleeve, said plunger having a recess extending longitudinally of one side communicating with the opening in the sleeve connected with the encircling chamber and a longitudinal slot in the opposite side surrounding said pin and communicating With the discharge passage and a passage connecting said longitudinal recess and slot at the top, and means for reciprocating said plunger.

19. A billet casting machine, comprising a casting having a vertical chamber, a sleeve Within said chamber, a bar extending across said chamber, a pin rigidly secured in said bar and extending axially of said chamber, a plunger slidably arranged in said sleeve having a longitudinal slot therethrough through Which said bar extends and a piston head thereabove slidably encircling said pin, a passage extending transversely through the piston head of said plunger, a passage surrounding the upper end of said sleeve and connected With the passage through said plunger, and means for operating said plunger.

20. A billet casting machine, comprising a rotatable member having a plurality of mould recesses therein, a plunger operable in each of said recesses, means for operating said rotatable member means for reciprocating said plungers, and means for clearing the top surface of the metal poured into said moulds.

JOHN WYCLIFFE LEIGHTON. 

